NEWINGTON, CT, Dec 30, 1999 --
Amateur Radio will get a new look in the new millennium.
The FCC today issued its long-awaited Report and Order in the
` 1998 Biennial Regulatory Review of Part 97 --
more commonly known as "license restructuring."
The bottom line is that starting April 15, 2000,
there will be three license classes --
Technician, General, and Amateur Extra --
and a single Morse code requirement--5 WPM.

"We believe that an individual's ability to demonstrate
increased Morse code proficiency is not
necessarily indicative of that individual's ability to
contribute to the advancement of the radio art," the FCC
said.

Besides drastically streamlining the Amateur Radio licensing
process, the FCC said its actions would
"eliminate unnecessary requirements that may discourage or
limit individuals from becoming trained
operators, technicians, and electronic experts."

Although no new Novice and Advanced licenses will be issued
after the effective date of the Report and Order,
the FCC does not plan to automatically upgrade any
existing license privileges.
The ARRL had proposed a one-time across-the-board
upgrading of current Novice and Tech Plus licensees to
General class, but the FCC declined to adopt the idea.
This means that current licensees will retain their
current operating privileges, including access to various
modes and subbands, and will be able to renew
their licenses indefinitely.

Starting April 15, 2000, individuals who qualified for the
Technician class license prior to March 21, 1987,
will be able to upgrade to General class by providing
documentary proof to a Volunteer Examiner
Coordinator, paying an application fee,
and completing FCC Form 605.

The FCC's decision not to automatically upgrade Novice and
Tech Plus licensees means the current Novice/Tech Plus HF
subbands will remain and not be "refarmed" to higher class
licensees as the ARRL had proposed.
The FCC said it did not refarm these subbands because there
was "no consensus" within the amateur community
as to what to do with them.

As it had proposed earlier, the FCC decided to lump
Technician and Tech Plus licensees into a single
licensee database, all designated as "Technician" licensees.
Those who can document having passed
the 5 WPM Morse code examination will continue to have the
current Tech Plus HF privileges.
"If documentation is needed to verify whether a licensee has

passed a telegraphy examination, we may request the
documentation from that licensee or the VECs," the FCC said.

In addition to reducing the number of license classes from
six to three and eliminating the 20 and 13 WPM code tests,
the FCC also will reduce the number of written examination
elements from five to three, authorize Advanced Class hams
to prepare and administer General class examinations, and
eliminate Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES)
station licenses. RACES will remain,however.
"After review of the record, we conclude that we should
eliminate RACES station licenses because RACES station
licenses are unnecessary for amateur stations and
amateur service licenses to provide emergency
communications"

Under the new licensing scheme, there will be four
examination elements.
Element 1 will be the 5 WPM Morse code exam.
Element 2 will be a 35-question written test to obtain a
Technician license;
Element 3 will be a 35-question written test to obtain a
General license
Element 4 will be a 50-question written test for the Amateur
Extra license.
The FCC has left it in the hands of the National Conference
of VECs
Question Pool Committee to determine the specific mix and
makeup
of written examination questions. Current Amateur Radio study
materials
remain valid at least until the new rules become effective in
April.

The FCC's new licensing plan means someone will be able to
become
a ham by passing a single 35-question written examination.
The plan also simplifies and shortens the upgrade path from
the
ground floor through Amateur Extra--especially since amateurs

will only have to pass one Morse code test.

Elimination of the 13 and 20 WPM Morse requirements also
means an end to physician certification waivers for
applicants
claiming an inability to pass the Morse code examination due

to physical handicap.

The effective date provides a window of upgrade opportunity
for current Advanced licensees.
Between now and April 15, current Advanced holders may take
the existing Element 4B, a 40-question test, giving them
credit
for having passed the current Extra written examination.
Likewise, holders of a Certificate of Successful Completion
of Examination (CSCE) for Elements 3B or 4B dated on or after

April 17, 1999, will be able to qualify for General or
Amateur Extra
respectively when the new rules go into effect on April 15,
2000.

The FCC disagreed with the League's suggestion that it
undertake a
restructuring of operating privileges along with licensing
restructuring.
"We believe that in light of ongoing discussions concerning
implementation of new and more modern communications
technologies within the amateur service community,
we should accord the amateur service community an
opportunity
to complete such discussions and possibly reach a consensus
regarding
implementation of new technologies before we undertake a
comprehensive restructuring of the amateur service
operating privileges
and frequencies," the FCC said in its Report and Order.

In its amendments to Part 97, the FCC's Report and Order
refers to a "Club Station Call Sign Administrator,"
something that does not exist under the current rules and
which was not
explained in the R&O itself.
An FCC spokesperson said the Commission plans to issue a
Public Notice
soon to explain the program and to solicit qualified
entities to
serve as call sign administrators for club station
applications.

A copy of the entire Report and Order (FCC 99-412) is
available from the FCC Web site in plain text.


http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/1999/db991230/fcc99412.txt